Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Fifteen: Early Departure

When I woke up the next morning, I was able to sit up and move around with only a little pain left in my head. After a quick check by Madame Pomfrey, I was free to leave the hospital wing and head to breakfast. I pushed the doors to the Great Hall open. The majority of the hall looked at me before turning to their neighbors and talking in whispers.

I glanced towards the Slytherin table to find that Draco and Maddie were not at the table yet. Instead, I walked over to the Gryffindor table to find Harry.  When he noticed me walking his way, he stood up to greet me. "Katie! I'm so glad to see that you're alright!" He said.

I gave him a hug and said, "Thank you so much for saving my life!"

"It was nothing, really," Harry laughed.

"Hey, I helped too!" Ronald whined.

I pulled away from Harry and looked at Ronald. "Yeah, um, thanks Ronald," I told him before walking past him and over to Hermione. "Hermione! You're alright!"

"Oh Katie!" She gasped as she hurried to get up and hug me.

It only lasted for a moment though, before we were interrupted by the twins yelling, "KATE, YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!!!"

I stepped away from Hermione to see them running towards me. Fred reached me first and gave me a quick hug before George pushed him aside to get to me. He picked me up before giving me a bone-crushing hug. "Ow, ow, ow! Easy, George!" I warned him.

He released me and stepped back. "Sorry!" He gasped.

I rubbed my head and replied, "Merlin's beard, George! I only just got released from the hospital wing, you know!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "It's just that I was so worried."

My face softened and I embraced him again. "It's alright. Just be more careful, will you?"

"Of course."

"Good, now I'm going to go eat my breakfast. I will see all of you later."

"See ya, Kate!" The twins chorused before I headed to my own house's table.

Before I could make it to my spot, I was tackled by a bleach-blonde haired boy.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry-"

"Draco-"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry-"

"Hey Draco-"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry-"

"Draco!"

He took a step backward and looked at me. "Sorry-" I covered his mouth.

"You need to calm down. Are you calm?" He nodded. "Great. Now when I let go, you're going to calmly tell me what you have to say."

Draco took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry I said that about Granger. You were right. I shouldn't say that."

"I'm surprised it's taken you this long to say that, but I forgive you just the same." We sat down and began to eat.

"I thought I lost you," Draco said after a while.

"Draco, you are my best friend. You'll never lose me."

"No, I thought you- you were going to die." His voice faltered a little.

"Well, I didn't." I wasn't sure what else to say. "Come on, we should go to the common room. I need to change anyways." We walked down to the dungeons. As soon as we passed through the doorway, I was yet again ambushed in hugs by someone. This time the figure had crazy, curly hair.